Jenny Craig’s Former Race Horse Fights For Life

Update: Indy was humanely euthanized during a second procedure on Sunday. Jenny Craig did reach out to Pure Thoughts and donated the remainder of the vet bill. PTHR is very grateful to not only Mrs. Craig but to all of the volunteers, Indy's fans, and complete strangers who not only donated but sent well wishes and condolences. You can read a special message from co-founder Jennifer Swanson on their public Facebook page, Pure Thoughts Horse Rescue Official Page: https://www.facebook.com/PureThoughtsHorseRescue

Loxahatchee Groves, Fl. ---

January 15, 2014 started out like any other at Pure Thoughts Horse Rescue in Loxahatchee, FL. The horses were munching on breakfast, stalls were being cleaned, the day’s schedule for training was being adjusted, and the blankets were pulled out in preparation for the coming cold snap.

At approximately 8 am, Indy Ride, a former thoroughbred race horse, bred and owned by diet magnet Jenny Craig was in distress and severe pain. Experienced with the signs of colic, Brad Gaver, rescue founder and trainer, began treating Indy Ride. It didn't take long for Brad to determine this was more than an at-home treatable illness. Indy Ride was transported to Reid’s & Associates Equine Clinic. Reid’s services the Wellington and surrounding equine communities.

The staff at Reid’s began treating Indy Ride but he was not responding to the treatment. He was being sedated every 20 minutes due to pain. The doctors recommended emergency surgery.

The cost of the procedure and follow up care was an estimated $10,000. The rescue had to make a very difficult decision. Try to save Indy or euthanize him. Founders, Jennifer Swanson and Brad Gaver, felt that money should not be the deciding factor in the decision to proceed with the operation. Indy Ride, up until this bout of colic, was a healthy horse. The vet had recently given him a clean bill of health, he had passed a lameness exam, and had been steadily gaining much needed weight. The decision was made to go ahead with the surgery much to the joy of Indy’s fans all over the country. The rescue did not have $10,000 on hand so the call went out for help. Donations from rescue volunteers and supporters started to be called into the Reid’s & Associates Equine Clinic. Over $2,000 was raised as people began sharing on Facebook, tweeting, and sharing on Instagram.

Some of the volunteers of the rescue began trying to make contact with Jenny Craig’s camp to plead for help with his hefty bill. They left messages on her official Facebook page and tweeted to to twitter account, asking for any help she could provide. There has not been any contact from Craig’s people to the rescue.

What follows is the PTHR press release written by a dedicated volunteer. It has been released nationally to news outlets and sports publications, all the major networks and their local affiliates. It was also emailed to Craig’s publicist:

JENNY CRAIG’S FORMER HORSE FIGHTING FOR HIS LIFE

Indy Ride, bred and raced by Jenny Craig and rescued by Pure Thoughts Horse Rescue is in emergency Colic surgery.

LOXAHATCHEE, Fla. (January 15, 2014) --- Indy Ride, a horse bred and originally owned by Jenny Craig once again finds himself in a life or death situation. After being saved from a slaughter bound truck for Canada, Indy Ride is now facing a major medical condition known as ‘Colic’. It has been determined through veterinarian diagnostics that the only way to save his life would be to immediately take him to surgery. The pre-op diagnostics, surgery and post-op care will cost well over $10,000, of which, $2,000 has been raised. As of the submission of this press release, Indy Ride is in surgery where a portion of his intestines will require resection. (Images, including a graphic one showing his dead intestine has been attached with this email).

A royal pedigree including Belmont Winner, AP Indy, Secretariat, Seattle Slew and many more, could not guarantee Indy Ride a life of royalty and instead, he was raced 36 times, passed from owner to owner until he finally found himself destined for a European dinner plate. Skinny and neglected, a concerned Ohio resident temporarily saved Indy until he could be transferred to an appropriate rehab facility such as Pure Thoughts Horse Rescue.

At this time, his prognosis for a fulfilling future is promising and once healed, Indy Ride will be up for adoption.

About Pure Thoughts Inc. Horse RescuePure Thoughts Inc. is a national, all-volunteer 501(c)3 non-profit organization and is dedicated to saving the lives of horses that are victims of starvation, neglect, abuse or bound for slaughter for human consumption. In 2009, Pure Thoughts expanded to include a Thoroughbred Rehabilitation & Placement helping Thoroughbreds whose career has ended through rehabilitation, retraining and proper placement in a forever home. As of August 2011, this program has become international. Pure Thoughts Horse Rescue is one of the largest horse rescues in the USA taking in over 1,700 horses since its inception in December of 2002. For more information, please call 561-254-0415 or visit the foundations Web site at http://www.PTHR.org

About Reid & Associates Equine ClinicReid and Associates Equine Clinic is a full-service equine hospital and referral center established in 1995 by Byron V. Reid VMD. The clinic near Wellington, FL manages preventative equine care, as well as elective, urgent medical and surgical cases. For more information, please call 561-790-2226 or visit the Web site at http://reidequine.com/

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